Involvement
by daphrose
Summary: No. No. He didn't run away because he was mad at her. He didn't run away at all. He'd been taken. She knew it when she saw that blood-soaked note. Why would no one believe her? Didn't they learn their lesson last time? Why did he have to get so emotionally involved in such an average case, anyway? Why did she?
1. Chapter 1

**Judy is a literal plot bunny. And I can't shoot Judy, can I? Ugh. I should not be starting another story. But here we are. After watching Zootopia twice and adoring its intricate and brilliant plot, I'm here to do my own take on the animals' interesting world.**

 **Greetings, Zootopia fans! I'm daphrose, also known as Rosie. I write for a lot of Disney shows, and today I thought I'd tackle a Disney movie. You should know that I love me some plot twists and dark storylines. This is a multi-chaptered story that is rated a high T for dark themes, criminal acts, violence, muzzles, kidnappings, physical and psychological torture, and potentially death. I condone none of those things, but they do make for good conflict in a fictional world. Tread with care.**

 **A few other notes: There is an OC who will play an important role in the story. I will do everything in my efforts to make him a three-dimensional character and not some sort of generic Gary-Stu, but if you don't trust me, you can leave now. The other thing is that Judy and Nick will** ** _not_** **be shipped romantically in this story, but there will be a strong platonic friendship between them. (Basically just like the movie.)**

 **I don't own Zootopia, only Jack and this story. Enjoy.**

* * *

 *** * * Chapter 1 * * ***

* * *

"Nick?" She pounded on the door one more time. "Nick Wilde, open up this door right now!" She tapped her foot, twitched her nose, and pounded on the door again. "Don't make me get a warrant!"

She took a step back and drew in a shuddering breath. "Look, I'm sorry, okay. Is that what you wanted? I understand the way you feel about this. Really, I do. But Nick . . . you're an officer now. I've learned to . . . to let go and . . . so why can't you just . . ." She stomped her foot. "Let me in, you dirty little fox!"

No answer.

Her hands slid off her hips and she sank to her knees. Down the hall, an elderly sheep carrying a sack of groceries entered her apartment. She took no notice of the distraught bunny a couple yards away.

Judy sighed. "Seriously, Nick, nothing? I know you're in there, and I know you can hear me!" _You're in there, right, Nick?_ She'd already checked down by the bridge and all of his other favorite hangouts. The only place left to look had been his apartment, but the door was locked. She seriously considered going back to the station and getting a warrant.

She decided to take the desperate angle—she was desperate, after all. "Please. Nick, I don't want you to be mad at me. A-And I don't want to be mad at you. Just let me in. Let's talk about this together. Not as officers, okay, just as friends? Please?"

Still no answer. Complete and utter silence. Though sadness still held the primary role in her heart, she could feel the anger rising up alongside it. She stood, twitched her nose again, and shouted, "You're gonna have to come in tomorrow either way! If you won't come out now, I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

He didn't show up in the morning.

She sat through the briefing—she had only paperwork to fill out involving their latest case. She didn't like it, especially since the case was still open, but she needed to get all the facts straight before they could continue. Unless something big came up, she would be stuck in her cubicle.

She should've been stuck in there with Nick.

When Chief Bogo came around to ask where her partner was, she had no answer for him. He narrowed his eyes, but he didn't ask any more questions. Officer Clawhauser told her later that all attempts to call Nick had failed. He wouldn't answer to any of them, and that only made Judy angrier.

At the beginning of lunch break, she pulled out her own phone and gave her friend a call. As suspected, it went straight to voicemail.

"I know you're mad at me," Judy said, getting right to the point of her message, "but seriously? You're blowing off your job and all your friends? What's your deal, Nick? Does this case really make you _that_ mad?" She paused for a moment. "I'm coming over to your place after I get off of work. If you don't open the door, I _will_ get a warrant."

She ended the call and sighed. As hungry as she was, she knew she wouldn't be able to eat until this had all been settled. No time to head over to Nick's apartment before she had to get back to work, but she knew a place where she might be able to find a clue.

* * *

It was a bad part of town, an area she'd been to on plenty of occasions yet still couldn't quite enjoy. The conditions of squalor simultaneously broke her heart and put her on edge. Obviously she didn't want to stereotype everyone there, but no one could deny the large number of criminals these streets produced. She shrugged all that off and kept walking, straight into the run-down pizza joint.

"Jack? Jack Wilde?"

The fox behind the counter grinned and swung around, expecting to find a costumer. "Yes ma'am, what can I—oh, it's you."

"Yeah, Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD."

"You've mentioned that . . . every single time we've met. Here to ask more about those shaved animals? Because I don't know a thing."

"No, but I'll probably be back to ask you about those later."

"I'm sure you will."

"This is about Nick."

Jack's face softened. "Look, I'd love to help you, but unless you buy something, you're loitering."

"Fine. I'll take one personal carrot pizza."

"Saw that one coming."

After she received her pizza, she sat at the counter so she could carry on her conversation.

"Is Nick okay?" Jack asked before she could say anything.

"I don't know. That's what I came to ask you. We got into a fight yesterday and—"

"About me?"

"Huh?"

"Was your fight about me?"

Judy's brow furrowed. "It doesn't matter. The point is—"

"So it was about me."

"Let me finish!" She glared at him until he shrugged. "He got mad at me and stormed off. No one's seen him since. He didn't come in for work and no one can get a hold of him."

"Have you tried going to his apartment?"

"What do you think? Of course I have! He won't answer the door."

Jack gave a slow nod. "And you think I might know where he is?"

"Maybe."

"What, you think I kidnapped him or something?"

Judy scowled. "I wouldn't put it past you."

Jack only laughed at her. "Look, I know you hate me and think I'm a terrible guy, but even _I_ wouldn't stoop so low as to kidnap my own brother."

"You don't seem terribly upset that he's missing."

"He's not missing; you're freaking out about nothing. Look, my brother always liked to be by himself as a kid. He's probably just taking a breather while he cools down."

"His personal mantra is 'Don't let them know they get to you.' This isn't like him!"

"Who here is related to him?"

"The same guy who's been missing for sixteen years and just came back _this month_. You don't know Nick at all, not really."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Look, of course I'm worried about him. But be patient. Man, you bunnies are so jumpy."

She wiped her paws on a napkin and drank the rest of the soda. "I need to get back to the station. I'll be in tomorrow to ask you about those shaved animals."

"I'm counting on it!" Jack called after her as she left the building.

* * *

Judy stood back in front of Nick's door, her body quivering. She had stood outside, completely silent, for several minutes. She didn't hear a sound coming from the apartment, and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. As a cop, she'd learned not to ignore her instincts.

Judy knocked once, but she didn't wait for an answer. She knew she wouldn't get one. Instead, she ran out of the building and into the back alley. She located the window to Nick's apartment and hurried up the fire escape.

The chilly night air rustled her fur as she frowned at the shutters blocking her view into the room. She pursed her lips and pushed up on the frame, hoping against hope that fate would be kind to her.

The window popped open and she sighed with relief. Now she only had to hope she wouldn't be convicted of breaking and entering. She had probable cause . . . right?

Judy slid through the shutters and into Nick's dark apartment. A quick scan told her that she was alone. She tried to flick on the lights, but they didn't work. She pulled out the flashlight on her phone, her heart pounding her chest.

"Nick?" she hissed.

The sinking feeling in her gut grew worse with every step she took. This went far beyond an angry friend. Something was wrong here and she was determined to prove it.

Aside from the lights and every other electrical item in the room being in an inoperative condition, nothing looked out of place. No claws marks on the walls, no misplaced objects, no sign of ransacking, nothing. For some reason, that only made Judy feel worse.

"Where are you, Nick?" she muttered.

She walked over to the bed and knelt down, shining her light under it. Nothing. She did the same under the nightstand, with the same result. Finally, she checked under the dresser. This time, her light shown off some kind of paper. She pulled it out and held it under her phone.

The first noticeable thing about the paper was the slit down the right side surrounded by a red stain. She convulsed with dread. The . . . _stain_ covered up some of the words, but she could still make them out, thankfully.

The date of the day before sat in the top corner. The note was written in Nick's sloppy handwriting, and the words, coupled with the stain, only served to strengthen her fear—especially when the words ended so abruptly.

 _All the lights went out two minutes ago. My door's jammed and so is the window._ _My phone hasn't been working for fifteen minutes, or else I would've called someone. I'm probably just paranoid, but I've had a weird feeling since this afternoon. If everything's fine in the morning—and I'm sure it will be—I'll destroy this note. But if someone actually found this, congratulations! You've probably also found my dead body! And if this note is all by itself, something even worse happened to me. Gosh. Is this what it's like to be so afraid? I really hope no one ever finds this note. And if you do, can we keep this between you and me? No one else needs to kn_

* * *

 **I feel like it's not the best. Ah well. Yes, more will explained as it goes on. And yes, that drop-off ending was on purpose.**

 **Gah, I really hope that note sounded all right. Getting Nick right on paper is hard.**

 **Speaking of Nick, he's also my favorite character. If anyone has read my other work, you know that, well, my favorite characters always wind up in some terrible situations where they're physically and emotionally beaten up. Sorry, Nick. That's what you get for being so stinkin' adorable.**

 **If you're still reading this, thank you so much. Reviews are appreciated but not required. Letting me know what you thought of the chapter and of the plot idea overall really helps me grow as an author. Be honest with me!**

 **I'm not entirely sure when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully soon. Thanks again for reading, all! See you later!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Easter, everyone! Took me long enough, but here's the next chapter. I'm actually more proud of it than I thought I would be. Some stuff starts to pick up, and trust me, you'll have more questions after this than you did before.**

 **By the way, thank you guys _so_ much for all the follows and favorites, and especially for the reviews. I love the feedback. :3 Here's your reward, peeps! Thanks for waiting!**

 **I do not own Zootopia. Enjoy!**

* * *

 *** * * Chapter 2 * * ***

* * *

Judy fumbled with her phone and took a picture of the note. "Oh, Nick, you'd better not be pulling something over on me," she mumbled. "This isn't funny."

She stuffed the note into her pocket and stood, suddenly very uncomfortable in the abandoned apartment. She managed to check the closet and bathroom for any clues—of which there were none—before hopping out the window and pulling it shut.

She sat on the fire escape for several moments, thoughts racing through her brain faster than her little brothers on caffeine. She pulled out the note with shaking hands and read it over . . . and over and over and over.

"Of course Nick wouldn't panic about all that stuff," she mumbled. "You dumb fox." She squinted as she read over one of the lines again. "Wait, if the window was jammed yesterday . . . why is it open now?"

She decided not to waste brain power on it. She had more important matters to deal with, including getting the note to the station.

Judy scampered down the stairs and out into the street. It was late, but not late enough that the nocturnal animals had come out. Thus, the streets were mostly deserted. Judy found that to be acceptable—the tension inside her would make social interaction difficult.

Her mind sped as fast as her feet—she really needed to get a car.

All the thoughts and fears left her unaware of her surroundings, so when she found herself chucked into an alley, she didn't have time to collect herself before a bag got thrown over her head.

She screamed and warned of her status as a cop, but the owner of the hands that ripped Nick's note away from her didn't seem to care. They also slid her phone out of her pocket as she struggled to remove the bag—a momentary fear of suffocation hindering her in that process. There must have been another animal there, because something strong held the bag in place. Judy flailed her arms, trying to get free.

Then she was.

The bag came off and she gasped, looking around for her attackers. They were nowhere to be seen—she sat alone in the alley. On the ground a few feet away was her phone. She moved over to pick it up, circumspection guiding her movements.

The phone did not blow up, and when she turned it on it appeared to be fine. She stood and forced her knees to stop knocking.

The only thing missing was the note.

Judy wanted to look around, to see if she could find clues, but being in an alley at night did not sit well with her. She ran back to the street and tried to keep her nose from twitching.

A few minutes later she reached the station. Clawhauser waved to her, and she smiled back. He caught the tension behind her look and asked, "Is something wrong, Judy?"

"Well, Nick might be missing and I was just attacked," she with a sigh.

"O-M-Goodness! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I'm going to see if I can pull up the security footage. I didn't see who did it."

Clawhauser didn't have time to say anything else before Judy rushed up to her cubicle and powered up the computer. Being in the system made this part much easier. She was able to find the camera pointed at the spot where she had been pushed into the alley, and she was about to play it when a someone rapped on the wall.

"What are you doing, Hopps?" Chief Bogo asked. "You're off duty."

"Yes, sir, I know, but . . . I found an incriminating note in Nick's apartment. It—uh—it had a . . . a bloodstain on it, sir, and it was in Nick's handwriting. I was coming back to show it to you when someone attacked me on the street. They stole the note—here, I have a picture of it on my . . . phone . . ."

She had opened her phone and was prepared to show it to the chief, only to find that the picture of Nick's note was not in her albums. "What?" she mumbled, scrolling through every image. "No, it was . . . it was in here . . . I know I took it!"

"Hopps . . ."

"Wait, wait, I'll show you the footage of me being pushed into the alley." Judy tapped away at the keys and pulled up the footage from the camera taken fifteen minutes ago. "Here, this is where they . . . huh?"

The image showed Judy walking past the alley and going on her way with no interaction from others. No one attacked her or even approached her. She just went right on her way.

"Something's wrong." Judy tried switching to a few other cameras, but they all showed the same thing. "No . . . I know what happened to me!"

"Officer Hopps, I don't have time for these games."

"It's not a game, sir. Nick's in trouble and someone's trying to cover it up."

"Oh, well, seeing as how you have no evidence, of course I'll believe that."

"Sir! Please!"

"Hopps, it's been a long week for you. Sometimes newer officers, they get a little too excited. They think everything is a new case for them. Well, rabbit, not everything is that way in Zootopia. Don't let your imagination run away with you. Now, since you're off the clock, I'll kindly ask you to leave your computer."

Judy turned off the power and stood. "I know what I saw, Chief. Something's going on here."

"Where did you say you found that note again, Hopps?"

She looked up into his stern face and her ears fell back. "Never mind."

"That's what I thought."

Clawhauser ran up to them, huffing as he went. "Judy! There you are. About Nick—whew, hold on a second—okay, okay, I'm good. Anyway, Judy, Nick called just after you left. He said he wasn't feeling well. That's why he didn't come in or call earlier."

"Insolent fox," Chief Bogo muttered. "Someday I'll have to teach him what a _job_ is."

"He's just out sick?" Judy said. "But . . ." She blinked and shook her head. "But that doesn't make any . . ."

"Are you all right, Judy?" Clawhauser asked.

"She's just paranoid," Chief Bogo said. "This is why I didn't want a trigger-happy bunny around."

He stormed away, and while Judy was inclined to be angry, she decided to let it slide. Chief Bogo was going to speak his mind no matter what, and Judy had bigger problems.

"Ah, don't mind the chief. He's like that with everyone." Clawhauser gave her a sympathetic smile. "Did you find whoever attacked you?"

"No," Judy said. "According to the security cameras they don't exist. Ben, are you _sure_ it was Nick who called you?"

"Who else could it be? It was from his cell, and that was definitely him."

"And he said he was sick?"

"Uh-huh. Poor thing."

Judy nodded. "Thanks. I . . . guess he is fine."

The two parted, and Judy pulled out her phone as she walked out of the station. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment.

 _So you're not feeling well? That's all? - Judy_

She turned down the street to head back to her apartment. More of the nocturnal animals had come out, and Zootopia's night life came alive.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket with apprehension and a twinge of excitement.

 _That's all - Nick_

 _Why didn't you tell us earlier? - Judy_

 _You worry too much. Relax, carrots - Nick_

 _Why weren't you at your apartment earlier? - Judy_

 _I was helping Mrs. Ramsey down the hall with her groceries. Why were you at my apartment? - Nick_

 _Because I worry too much. Goodnight, Nick. Feel better. - Judy_

No, that conversation didn't help anything. She felt worse than before. Too many things didn't add up. Something was off and she knew it.

She also knew she wouldn't get any sleep tonight—she had too many mysteries to solve.

She wasn't crazy. Or paranoid. Or trigger-happy.

 _She wasn't._

* * *

 **If any of the editing is off, I apologize. I'm editing most of this (and writing the A/N) in the car while going to my grandma's house for Easter. So apologies for any weirdness because of that.**

 **Well, well, well. Nick's okay. Right? But, uh, that note? And Judy being attacked? Is Nick messing with her? Or is she just going insane?**

 **I would LOVE to hear your theories about all this. Drop me a review and let me know what you think. They make me happy. :3**

 **Tune in next chapter for a flashback (which will have Nick in it) and the return of Jack. You'll find out more about what started all of this in the first place. There's a lot more to this story. ;)**

 **Happy Easter, everyone! Jesus is alive! :D See you all soon!**


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